Use Facebook Chat in Pidgin - Here's how
While Facebook offers its own messenger, many users prefer other programs like Pidgin. This allows you to manage several instant messengers and chat programs in parallel. You can find out everything you need to know about Facebook chat in Pidgin here.
Facebook chat no longer supports Pidgin
For a long time, the Facebook chat was accessible via an interface, an API, for third-party programs. In addition, it could be integrated into multi-messengers like Pidgin in just a few steps.
- As of April 30, 2015, access to these interfaces has no longer been possible. The Facebook chat can therefore no longer be integrated into Pidgin.
- This step should probably focus more on Facebook's own messenger.
The alternative: use Facebook chat in Trillian
Like Pidgin, Trillian is a multichat program that allows you to manage Facebook chat in addition to AIM, IRC and XMPP. In contrast to Pidgin, this functionality has been further developed at Trillian and is therefore still available.
- Install the current Trillian client.
- After installation, you must either create a new Trillian account or log in to an existing account.
- This account has nothing to do with your Facebook account, but is a parent account. So here all accounts - Facebook, IRC etc. - are saved together.
- Then in the future you only need to log in to your Trillian account and you can use all other services directly.
- After logging in, you can set up a number of accounts directly, including Facebook accounts.
- Simply enter your regular login data and save your entries. If you start Trillian now, you will immediately see your Facebook contacts and can chat with them.
In the past, you could integrate the Facebook chat in Pidgin
With the earlier access to the API, the Facebook chat could be integrated like any other XMPP chat at Pidgin. If the interface is released again, use it as follows:
- First you need your Facebook username. This is not fixed from the start. On this page you can determine or check and change it yourself.
- Click on "Accounts" in the Pidgin menu bar and select "Manage accounts".
- Open a new account with "Add ...".
- Enter your Facebook user name (all after "facebook.com/") in the "Simple" tab. Also save your regular Facebook password.
- Enter chat.facebook.com as the domain.
- In the "Advanced" tab, select "Require encryption" for connection security.
- Save the entries and activate the account. If the chat API is released again, you can access the Facebook chat with these settings via Pidgin.
Facebook chat without messenger - how it works
For many, the Facebook messenger has become a Pidgin alternative. Before you decide, we will explain what you should know about FB Messenger and data protection.